News Shocker! Diversity Finally Comes to Food Network!

Amy — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:24:40 +0000

Well, it looks as though either my blog has been read by Fool Network execs or there are more people out there wondering where the diversity has been on the station (NOTE: There are alot of other blogs discussing how homogeneous TFN has become, not only me). Starting at the beginning of February (Feb. 2nd, 11AM EST), Food Network fans will have the opportunity to see black people on the channel. I know, I know… simmer down people, it seemed unbelievable to me too. I did a double take, rubbed my eyes and then pinched myself to see if I was actually awake. Not since Curtis Aikens has the Food Network broadcasted a cooking show hosted by someone black. Oh, wait… does that Bryant Gumble look-alike that hosted that horrible ‘Top 5 list’ count? I’m not too sure myself. OHHH, and wait, what about that guy who used to bake? I think his show only lasted a few months. But, I must congratulate (for the first time ever), TFN for finally showing some diversity. This show, “Down Home with the Neely’s” is also being promoted as much as that stupid Sandra Lee show, too, which is a big step. This may be a show I end up watching – as long as the cute Neely couple don’t get corrupted by the station to start acting like everyone else on the Food Network. I hope they just remain who they are. They have a very cute story – the four Neely brothers started a BBQ restaurant out of a small space in Memphis in 1988. They kicked some butt with great food and good service. Soon the business expanded to new locations so the brother’s needed extra help and recruited their mother and Patrick’s wife, Gina, to help out. Now they are the BBQ masters of Tennessee. Patrick and Gina did some contests and won and have been on many TV shows over the years. I wish them luck doing well on the Food Network.

Not to be stingy (I’ll take what I can get) but wouldn’t it be great to have a Thai or Indian chef on there, too? Maybe a Mexican chef doing regional cuisine ala Rick Bayless? Why not give Morimoto his own show? Oh, that’s right, maybe it’s because he’s too Asian? TFN completely degrades him every time he’s on Iron Chef by dubbing some dudes voice over his own. HE IS SPEAKING ENGLISH WHEN YOU DUB OVER HIM WITH ENGLISH!!!! I understand he has a strong accent, but at least let us hear the master speak. For fuck’s sake, degrade him a bit less by using subtitles. I wonder if this pisses him off?

Speaking of black cooks/chefs, I have been wanting to write a post on someone I am in love with – G. Garvin. Has anyone watched him on TV One? I’m so happy he is on TV – he’s intelligent, funny and is a fresh face/voice in the culinary TV world. He actually enlightens us with his knowledge of different foods and the recipe, doing it all with humor and not loosing sense of his real personality. The Food Network should have swooped him up before TV One did. I love him… he looks like LL Cool J and has a personality to match his looks. His catchphrase is “holla at ya boy” and he makes a sound when he’s grinding pepper (nothing like the loud, obnoxious BAM!). Here’s a few quotes I wrote down from G. while watching his show a few weeks ago:

“If you ain’t got no wooden spoon, you probably ain’t got no TV!” – G. Garvin

“If you ain’t got an oven, go holla at ya neighbor! Tell ‘em ya got dropped biscuits for your b-baby-baby!” - G. Garvin during a segment making ‘Dropped Biscuits’

I hope the new show on TFN is a good one. I really hope the Neely’s survive on the network because it will prove to me that the audience as well as the execs are not afraid of a bit of diversity! Good luck, Neely’s! I’m sure I’ll be giving my opinion on this here blog as soon as I see it! I’d love to hear your opinion too.

Check out a another WANF reader’s posts on the Neely’s and this subject:

Food Network Missing Key Ingredient?

CHECK OUT SOME RELATED POSTS:

We Are Never Full » G Garvin

News Shocker! Diversity Finally Comes to Food Network!